1. Progress of the negotiations on the CPR and ESF regulations
ESF Evaluation Partnership Meeting
Brussels 16 March
Dirk Reyntjens – DG EMPL E1

2. Key dates June 2011: MFF communication
(July 2011 – PL Presidency)
August 2011: Finalization of Impact Assessments
October 2011: Adoption of legislative package
(January 2011 – DK Presidency)

3. Legislative process Com proposal CoR opinion Council position
EP position
EESC opinion
Trilogue
(COM/Council/EP)
Compromise

4. Negotiations in Council
Structural Actions Working Party
(CPR, ERDF, ESF, CF, ETC, ETG)
Negotiation blocks
Strategic programming and thematic concentration
Performance framework and reserve
Monitoring and evaluation
Management and control
Financial management
Ex-ante conditionalities ……
MFF
Fin. Reg.

5. Negotiations in Council
GAC
COREPER
“Ideal” three steps in SAWP for each block
1st meeting
Q&As
2nd meeting compromise text
3rd meeting
Round up
Amendment proposals
Amendment proposals

6. Negotiations in Council
COREPER meeting in April on:
Strategic programming
Ex-ante conditionalities
General Affairs Council (24 April and 26 June)
[General issue on the use of IA and DA]

7. Strategic programming / thematic concentration CPR Art. 1-16; 23-31; 87
Status of the CSF (annex or DA?)
Code of Conduct
Architecture Partnership Contract / OP
Adoption and amendment of PC/OP
References to EU 2020 / NRPs / CSR
Multi-X Priority Axes
Multi-categories of regions
Multi-thematic objectives
Multi-fund

8. Strategic programming / thematic concentration ESF Art. 4 & 6-10
Article 4
20% for social inclusion (too much?)
Concentration at level of MS or Region instead of OP
Number of Investment Priorities
Levels in function category of regions
Articles 6 to 10 (social partners, NGOs, Gender, Equal Opportunities, Social Innovation, Transnational Cooperation)
Optional or compulsory

9. Performance framework and reserve CPR Art. 18-20 Annex I
Principle of a Performance Framework is accepted but issues on:
timing of the formal reviews (2017 & 2019 or 2019)
mixing positive and negative incentives
mechanisms leading to suspension and correction
Many MS have a general reserve on the performance reserve and see no Added Value

10. Monitoring and evaluation CPR Art. 41-50 & 100-104
Most discussions on the AIR:
Deadlines for submission of reports
Full financial and indicators data
EAC and issues affecting performance
Other points:
Function and composition of the MC
Actions required on COM recommendations
Evaluation plan (submission, coverage)
…. EAC; internal/external; publication

11. Financial management / management and control systems CPR Art
Examination of complaints
Deadline for e-cohesion
Pre-financing (net payers / RAL)
Payment of beneficiaries before declaring expenditures
de minimis threshold for recoveries
Audits (statistical vs risk based sampling)
Strong links with negotiations on Financial Regulation

12. Conditionalities CPR : Art. 17 & 21 and Annex IV
Macro-economic conditionalities are not discussed in SAWP (Art. 21)
Ex-ante conditionalities (Art. 17)
2 stage self-assessment: applicability and fulfilment - burden of proof
Linkage to actions to be undertaken or investment priorities
Subsidiarity
Proportionality
General ex ante conditionalities

13. Simplification CPR Art. 55 -61 140 - ESF Art.14
Increasing the ceilings in the regulations
Calculation of staff costs
One audit threshold
Compulsory use of SCO of ESF actions < 50,000

14. Negotiations in European Parliament
Discussions in specialised Committees
(REGI for CPR; EMPL for ESF; BUDG for MFF)
Rapporteurs draft opinions (March)
Committee members propose amendments (May)
Vote in Committees (June - July)
Discussion in plenary
ESF: July?
CPR: September?

15. Thank you for your attention